Waze sued for allegedly stealing map data
Google and its mapping service Waze are being dragged to court over allegations that Waze stole data from a rival’s map database. The lawsuit filed in San Francisco federal court on Tuesday by PhantomAlert alleges that the navigation app used proprietary data from PhantomAlert without permission. Both apps share road, red light and traffic information. According to PhantomAlert CEO Joseph Seyoum he noticed that Waze was using the same fictitious location information in its app that his company had used to test PhantomAlert. The only way Waze would have that fake location data is if it was using information from Seyoum’s company.
In a statement Seyoum said, “I started PhantomAlert seven years ago as an entrepreneur with a dream, and now that dream has been crushed by companies that are profiting from the years of blood, sweat and tears our team put into our product.”
PhantomAlert lawyer Karl Kronenberger alleges that Waze used his client’s data to increase its value and become more attractive to potential buyers. Both Google and Facebook were reportedly interested in purchasing the mapping app with Google securing the deal for around $1 billion n 2013.
The suit seeks monetary damages and an injunction against Waze and Google regarding the app. Google has not responded to queries for comment about the lawsuit.
Filed under:
Transportation, Google
Via:
CNET
Source:
PhantomAlert
Tags: google, Lawsuit, Mapping, Waze
Google launches Street View app for Android and iOS
Right off the heels of a major Google Maps update, the search giant today has launched a new Street View application for Android and iOS, allowing users to tour locations with 360-degree imagery.
The new Street View app will allow users to see “collections and content” from Google Maps all around the world, in addition to photospheres contributed from users.
User contribution plays a big part in this new application from Google, as Street View allows you to take photospheres of your favorite locations with your Android or iOS device. You can even connect up to a spherical camera like the NCTech iris360, Google says.
Street View will replace the Photo Sphere Camera application for iPhones along with Street View from Google Maps on Android. Those interested in taking it for a spin can hit the download link below.
Come comment on this article: Google launches Street View app for Android and iOS
Rumour: LG’s Nexus 5X coming September 29th with $400 price tag
While news from IFA 2015 is still filtering through, it seems that the one topic that makes the hearts of many Android purists skip-a-beat has reared its head again. Yesterday we learned that Google will announce both the LG and Huawei Nexus devices on September 29th, in San Francisco, and now some new details about LG’s latest Nexus device have emerged.
The details come courtesy of Android Authority, whose unnamed source has informed them that LG’s Nexus handset will probably be known as the Nexus 5X.
While the Nexus 5X will be more affordable than the Nexus 6 initially was, according to the source, it will still be around $50 more expensive than the original Nexus 5. To be honest, if the price tag is accurate, the relatively small increase in cost would be what most people would expect to see, especially considering the bump in specifications. The 16GB version of the Nexus 5X is expected to retail for $399, with the 32GB variant running to $449. It should be noted, none of the leaked factoids have been officially confirmed at this point, thus, a normal sized pinch of salt should accompany these details for the time being.
The same unnamed source dropped other interesting tidbits, including that, as long suspected, and alluded to with the tons of leaked renders, LG’s Nexus 5X carries a fingerprint scanner on the plastic rear panel, with a raised camera sensor and dual-LED flash accompanying it. Colour options include white, black, and light blue. A USB Type-C port is also said to be present, which, I’m sure we all hope, will be the full-featured product, and not the stripped down version that is present in the OnePlus 2.
If, and it is an if, these leaked details all come to pass, the Nexus 5X is bound to find its way onto the want lists of many Nexus fans. Especially considering that, for many, the 6-inch Nexus 6 handset was simply too big and costly. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: AndroidAuthority
Come comment on this article: Rumour: LG’s Nexus 5X coming September 29th with $400 price tag
Google’s new Street View app lets you add your own spherical photos
In the midst of IFA’s volley of tech hardware news, Google Maps has announced a spin-off Street View app that allows you to upload your own spherical photos. Yes, you’re now a human Street View car. The app not only lets you shoot photo spheres from your phone but also connect directly to spherical cameras, like Ricoh’s Theta camera series. The announcement came alongside the latest Theta camera, which is of course compatible with the new feature. It sounds like Street View will turn into a combination of Google’s own photography and crowdsourced spheres. Charles Armstrong, Google Maps Product Manager, said the new app will allow “people all over the world to explore user contributions, Google’s own imagery, and their own published photo spheres through a seamless world map of landscapes, landmarks, business interiors and more.”
From the home screen, you can search for any place in the world and then scroll through a series of tabs such as “Collections” and “Explore,” which contain relevant panoramas uploaded by both Google and other users. Once you’ve launched one, you can hold your phone in either portrait or landscape and swipe around to take in the scene — alternatively, you can press the compass icon to look around using the phone’s accelerometer.
The slide-out menu on the right-hand side reveals two upload options: Camera and Spherical Camera. The former allows you to shoot a regular Photo Sphere, just as you would with Google’s stock Android camera app. It’s then immediately saved in a “Private” tab on the home screen where you can review it and ultimately publish to Street View, allowing others to take it in for themselves. Selecting the “Spherical Camera” option, meanwhile, will connect your device to external hardware, which could be anything from the aforementioned Theta stick camera to the 16-camera GoPro rig spotted at Google I/O.
Additional reporting by Nick Summers
Filed under:
Cameras, Internet, Google
Source:
Google
Tags: google, googlestreetview, ifa, ifa2015, streetview
Exclusive: LG’s Nexus 5X coming September 29 for around $400
The Nexus 5X will come two years after the popular Nexus 5.
The LG-made Nexus is coming at the end of the month and it will be slightly more expensive that the original Nexus 5.
A source close to the matter has revealed to us details about Google‘s and LG’s plans for the new generation of the Nexus 5 smartphone. The source warned us that this information is not final, and as such, official details may differ, but we feel very confident in the veracity of this report.
First up, our source confirmed that the new Nexus will be made available in the Google Store from September 29. Both the LG Nexus and the Huawei Nexus will be offered at this point. This confirms a recent report from CNET, as well as an older rumor from Korean media.
The LG Nexus will probably go under the Nexus 5X moniker. We say probably because a decision on the final name has not been taken yet at Google HQ. That name makes a lot of sense: it allows Google to keep its “Nexus #” naming convention, while signaling that this is a new device in a much more intuitive fashion than by adding a “(2015)” or “(2nd gen.) suffix.
The Nexus 5X will look a lot like the device pictured in this leaked image.
Next up, we can confirm that the leaks that have been making the rounds showing the design of the Nexus 5X are accurate. The device will feature a circular rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, along a raised camera and the dual LED flash on the side.
The Nexus 5X will be available in white, black, and light blue, and will feature a plastic back and a USB Type-C port.
Perhaps the most important detail we gleaned from our source is the price of the Nexus 5X: the device will be affordable, but not as affordable as the original Nexus 5. The Nexus 5X will cost $50 more than the Nexus 5, according to our source. That means we can expect a starting point of $399 for the 16GB model and $449 for the 32GB model, assuming Google has decided to stick with 16GB for the base version.
Again, this is non-final info so do not take it for granted just yet. That said, this is a very solid source, so we fully expect this info to pan out.
That’s it for now! How do you feel about a $400 Nexus 5X? Let us know your thoughts.
The new Nexus smartphones will be announced on September 29th
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There’s been so much happening at IFA 2015 that this one almost skipped by us. A rumour being circulated is saying that the new Nexus smartphones will be announced on September 29th – we’re expecting a LG and Huawei device to be announced, presumably as the Nexus 5 and Nexus 6. This is the second time that the September 29th date has been dropped – the other time was in a report out of Korea, so we’re assuming this rumour, or at least the date, has some credibility somewhat. Quite unlike recent Nexus smartphone releases which have been quietly pushed to the Google Store, the latest rumour suggests that the LG and Huawei Nexus devices are going to be announced at a press conference in San Francisco.
The two Nexus smartphones will no doubt be launched in conjunction with the latest build of Android, Android Marshmallow, with a roll-out of the update to older Nexus devices coming soon after that. With so many rumours flying around everywhere, we’re excited to see for certain what Google has in store for us – the 29th can’t come soon enough.
What do you think about Google holding a press conference on September 29th? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: CNET via Droid-life
The post The new Nexus smartphones will be announced on September 29th appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Google will unveil new Nexus smartphones on September 29th in San Francisco
We’ve been hearing tons of rumors lately about Google’s upcoming lineup of Nexus smartphones, and it looks like we’ll finally see them officially unveiled in late September. The company is set to hold an event in San Francisco on September 29th, just in time for the holidays.
We’re expecting two Nexus devices, one of which will be a larger Huawei device and the other will be a smaller LG phone. These devices will probably be among the first Android devices to run Android Marshmallow, which we typically see with Nexus devices.
We’ve got a pretty solid idea on what both smartphones will have in terms of hardware, but pricing is still up in the air. Before the Nexus 6 last year, Google tried to set a trend with low cost devices. There’s no telling which direction the new Nexus devices will go, but we’ll know for certain by the end of the month.
source: Cnet
Come comment on this article: Google will unveil new Nexus smartphones on September 29th in San Francisco
Google joins other tech companies to create a new video format
Google has teamed up with 6 other tech giants to create a next-generation video format. The partnership includes key players like Amazon, Cisco, Intel, Microsoft, Netflix and Mozilla (aside from the Search Giant), a collective which is to be named the Alliance for Open Media.
You may be asking yourself what exactly the issue is with current video formats. Why are all these companies teaming up for a new solution, if our videos are already great? The main issue is that most popular video formats were not made with browsers and mobile devices in mind, they were simply adapted to them. The idea is that this next-generation standard would offer more flexibility, better support and improved browser compatibility.
The Alliance’s initial focus is to deliver a next-generation video format that is:
- Interoperable and open;
- Optimized for the web;
- Scalable to any modern device at any bandwidth;
- Designed with a low computational footprint and optimized for hardware;
- Capable of consistent, highest-quality, real-time video delivery; and
- Flexible for both commercial and non-commercial content, including user-generated content.
These guys will join forces and harness their specific areas of expertise to create a royalty-free video codec, placing a high emphasis on the above-mentioned characteristics, as well as encryption, adaptive streaming and more.
“Customer expectations for media delivery continue to grow, and fulfilling their expectations requires the concerted energy of the entire ecosystem. The Alliance for Open Media brings together the leading experts in the entire video stack to work together in pursuit of open, royalty-free and interoperable solutions for the next generation of video delivery.” -Gabe Frost, executive director at Alliance for Open Media
I am usually uncertain about new formats and their success, but with so many huge players on board, I find it difficult for this project to fail. Google and company are off to a good start, and more details will be revealed as the program develops. For now, all we can do is wait and see how this project unfolds. What do you guys think? Do we need a new format? Maybe this will be the one we have all been waiting for!
New Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides features make schoolwork less miserable
Being a college student myself, Google Drive has been one of the best tool to use for writing papers, working on group projects, and otherwise staying organized. The best part is, I don’t have to spend my precious student’s budget on it: it’s free!
Google is continuing to add value to Google Drive with its slew of updates, tailored for students (although, anyone can use them!).
First up, the “Research” tool, which has been accessible in Google Docs on the web version for awhile is now available in Docs for Android. This allows you to search Google without having to leave Docs, and then insert what you find directly into your Doc.
Next, you can now dictate your Docs! This is available in both the web version and app. Voice typing will even recognize formatting commands like “new paragraph” or “exclamation point”. Voice typing is even available in more than 40 languages, helping language students, and students around the world.
The next update isn’t a new feature so much as a change of location and design. Looking at revision history is now accessible in a fancy little button that says “See new changes” (shown above). This lets you see what recent changes were made and by whom, especially useful when collaborating on a project.
Forms has also been updated with a new design, and now easier ways to insert images, GIFs, or videos.
Also added are a bunch of new templates in Docs, Sheets, and Slides! Now templates for reports, portfolios, resumes, and more are all available to make your project look that much better.
Sheets has been updated with a fancy new feature called Explore.
“ Explore creates charts and insights automatically, so you can visualize trends and understand your data in seconds on the web or on your Android. It’s like having an expert analyst right by your side.“
The last new feature is something for Google Classroom users. Teachers can now instantly send websites to the entire class with a Chrome extension.
This is one big update, and a few of these are definitely features I’m excited to try out myself!
Do these features seem useful to you? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
SOURCE: Official Google Blog
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Google Now version 5.2.33 rolls out with new logo [APK Download]
Google updated their company logo and inevitably the updates to their apps followed. This particular update sees Google Now be bumped to version 5.2.33 and their Google Now Launcher feature the new logo as well as some new animations and a splash of colour.
Google has decided to add lots of colour to their launcher, and even the microphone icon now has colour. There’s a visual refresh when it comes to the Google Now part of the system, with new animations for swiping away. I like the new design as it seems to add a bit of character to an otherwise flat design.
You can find a detailed rundown of the APK over at AndroidPolice. You’ll see the new Maps version 9.14 app rolling out to the Google Play Store, but if you’d like to download it now, you can grab it below.
APK Download
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AIVAnet 